Cover-Ups and Beach Dresses

A cover up earns its place in the hour either side of swimming rather than in the water itself. It has to go on over a wet suit without a fight and come off the same way.

Sheer and crochet cuts are the ones people picture. They are light, they dry fast and they hide very little, which is the point of them on a beach and the problem with them in a cafe.

Button front and shirt cuts do the opposite job. They cover properly, they take a wet swimsuit underneath without showing it, and several here have pockets, which matters more than it sounds when you are carrying a phone and a key.

A cover up is not sun protection on its own. Loose open weave lets a great deal of light through, and the guide on sun and water in this site says what the CDC publishes about that.